The prior art is best illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,707,995 and 3,865,151. Both of these patents show the use of overhead surface wound cloth roll takeups, each of which employ overhead rolls positioned toward the rear of the loom substantially above the warp beam. U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,151 shows the cloth passing upwardly directly from the sand roll to a guide roll and thence upon a substantially horizontal run rearwardly to a center wound cloth roll. This apparatus possesses the significant disadvantage of limiting access to the front portion of the loom, as well as offering a limited inspection area.
Therefore, an important object of this invention is to procure the advantages of a bigger roll as permitted by off-the-loom takeups, together with the advantages of a surface wound takeup above the loom while permitting access to the front portions of the loom and offering greater area for inspection of the woven fabric. Moreover, access may be had within the fabric between the fabric and the front of the loom by utilizing a walkway which may be pivoted downwardly spreading the upward run of the cloth to permit access between it and the loom. Other United States Letters Patents which illustrate overhead cloth roll takeups include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,884,271 and 3,911,966.